Facebook ends Like-To-Download feature

When an artist shares a brand new single, never before heard throwback, or a clever remix, we all know how it feels to see that “Free Download” button appear beneath the song. And sometimes, clicking that link sends us to Facebook, where the gods of music grace us with a brand new tune at no cost- as long as we click the “Like” button. We’ve all been there before. Whether it’s a previously undiscovered newbie or an industry frontrunner like Hardwell, many artists have participated in the “Like-To-Download” initiative that Facebook has made so popular.

But after a recent slew of more policy updates, Facebook has decided to eliminate this feature all together. Their reasoning is to “help businesses reach the people who matter to them.” The corporate conglomerate hopes this will inspire people to revert back to the days of liking Pages simply to connect with a business – or in this case, artist or label – that they actually like, and not simply because they’re looking for a freebie.

Sure, at first, it’s easy to get upset by the overhaul. But ultimately, many in the music industry believe that this is just a long-overdue initiative to legitimize musicians. Many new artists have been discovered because of how many likes they get on Facebook. But how is one supposed to gauge an artist’s true popularity if half their likes come from users who simply stumbled upon their page a few times to get one or two free songs?

What does Facebook’s latest change mean to your music consumption habits? Do you think this is a smart move for the industry or an unfortunate change?